Positive drive nonspin differential for motor vehicles



March 9, 1954 OH TON 2,671,358

POSTIVE DRIVE NONSPIN DIFFERENTIAL FOR MOTOR VEHICLES Filed July 29; 19,52 2 Sheets-Sheet l as @fi M /s 25 53 r Z7 5a x M 3/ E I I /3 22 /Z 72 %,-ZZ 7@W Isnventor GttornegS March 9, 1954 w. R. JOHNSTON 2,671,358

POSTIVE DRIVE NONSPIN DIFFERENTIAL FOR MOTOR VEHICLES Filed July 29, 1952 2 SheetsSheet 2 "I'll,

INVENTOR M f 3M1) ATTORNEYS.

Patented Mar. 9, 1954 POSITIVE DRIVE NONSPIN DIFFERENTIAL FOR MOTOR VEHICLES William R. Johnston, New Milford, Conn.

Application July 29, 1952, Serial No. 301,483

8 Claims.

This invention relates to a differential drive for motor vehicles, and has for an object to provide a positive drive, non-spin differential for said vehicles. In other words, it is an object to provide a differential which will permit the wheels to turn at different speeds, but which will not permit one of the wheels to spin when off the ground while the other wheel is on the ground, or permit one to slip on a slippery surface while the other has frictional or driving contact with a surface.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, I have devised the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification. It is, however, to be understood the invention is not limited to the specific details of construction and arrangementshown, but may embody various changes and modifications within the scope of the invention.

In this drawing:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section showing one embodiment of this improved differential,

Fig. 2 is a detail section at one side thereof, and

Fig. 3 is a section similar to Fig. 1 showing a modified construction.

In the drawing the device is shown somewhat diagrammatically without showing all the details. It comprises the usual drive shaft I0 connected to the motor through the usual gearing and clutch means (not shown), and the two axle shafts I and I2 connected one to each of the rear wheels (not shown) of the vehicle in the usual manner and enclosed in the usual rear axle housings I3 with an intermediate enlarged housing I4 enclosing the differential gear mechanism. This comprises a pair of gears I5 and. I6 located between and in axial alignment with the axle shafts II and I2. These gears may be mounted in any suitable manner, but are shown as mounted on sleeve bearings II mounted on a central wall I8, by any suitable means as rivets or bolts Ila, fastened between the sections I9 and forming the housing I4. A shaft 2| may be mounted in the sleeves I! to strengthen and help support them. The gears I5 and I6 are really double gears each including an internal gear and an external gear, the internal gear for I5 being shown at 22 and the external gear at 23, while the internal gear of gear I6 is shown at 24 and the external gear at 25. A pair of drive pinions 26 and 27 each mesh with one of the external gears 23 and respectively, and these pinions are connected with the drive shaft I0 so as to be driven thereby. The gears 23 and 25 are of the same diameter and number of teeth and the two pinions 25 and 21 are the same size and are driven at the same speed so that the two gears I5 and I6 are driven at the same speed. For this purpose pinion 26 is mounted on the shaft Ill, while the pinion 21 is connected with the shaft so as to be driven thereby through a pair of meshing spur gears 28 and 29, gear 28 being on the drive shaft I0 and the gear 29 being on a short shaft 36 on which the pinion 21 is mounted.

Mounted on the bearing sleeves I! on opposite sides of the gears I5 and I6 and between each of these gears and the adjacent axle shaft II or I2 is mounted a. differential gear wheel 3| and 32 respectively, shown as bevel gears, and these gear wheels are connected by an intermediate bevel gear 33 mounted in a suitable bearing 34 in the housing and meshing with the gears 3| and 32 to form a driving connection between them and so that these gear wheels rotate in opposite directions. Carried by each of the gear wheels 3|, 32 is a planetary shaft 35 and 36 respectively, the shaft being located to one side of the aligned axes of the gears I5, I6, gear Wheels 3| and 32, and the axle shafts I I and I2, so that when gears 3| and 32 rotate these shafts are carried bodily.

about the axis of the gear wheel. In the arrange-.- ment shown these shafts are inclined to the axis of the gear wheels, and at their inner end or the end more removed from the axis each carries a pinion 31 and 38 respectively meshing with the internal gears 22 and 24 respectively, and the opposite end of these inclined shafts has a driv ing connection with the adjacent axle shafts II and I2 respectively, in the arrangement shown by means of bevel gears 39, 40, and 4| and 42. The axle shafts II and I2 are mounted in the conventional bearing in the housing members I3, I4, the drawing showing merely a supporting member 43 with a sleeve bearing 44. The bevel gear drive 39, 40, 4| and 42 may each be enclosed in a sort of cage arrangement 45 mounted on the bearings 35a and 35a for the shafts 35 and 36 and steadied by bearings 43. They help hold. the gears in mesh and are open on opposite sides for entrance of lubricant to the gears, it being understood the housing, particularly the central section I4, is filled with suitable lubricant, such as oil or grease. The gears. 39, 4?) and 4|. 42 preferably have eight teeth each. Gears 3! and 38 may have 8, 12 or 16 teeth as desired, and

gears 22 and 24 may have 32 teeth each. The gear wheels 3| and 32 may be retained on the bearing sleeves I1 by any suitable means such, for example, as the headed screws ,46.

In operation, if we assume the drive shaft is rotated counterclockwise or in the direction of the arrow, then the pinion 26 will rotate in the same direction and the pinion 21 in the opposite direction, and as they mesh with the external gears 23 and 25 they will rotate the two gears l5 and Hi to the left or counterclockwise and will rotate the two shafts and 33 by the internal gears 2i and 24' meshing'with pinions 31 and 38, and'these shafts in turnwill rotate the 1 axle shafts H and I2 counterclockwise to rotate the wheels (not shown) forwardly. If the car is moving forwardly in a straight line-the'two axles II and I2 will rotate at the same speed and the two gear wheels 3| and 32 will remain stationary. If now one of the wheels, and therefore its axle shaft, turns faster or slower than the other axle shaft (for example, if the axle shaft H turns faster or slower than the axle (12) it will turn the shaft 35 either faster or slower, and with it the; pinion 31, so that this; pinion moves around the: gear 22. (As the two gears l5 and I6 are geared to driving shaft land are driven at the same speed, they, may be considered as stationary for this purpose.) This will'turn the differential gearwheelv 3| in one direction or the other, depending on whether shaft H is going faster or slower than shaft l2, and through the connecting gear 33 will turn the other differential gear wheel 32 in. the opposite direction, and this wheel will carry with it the shaft 36, causing the pinion 38: to move around the internal gear 24 giving the diiferentia1 action. Thus, if the axle shaft l-l shouldtend to rotate faster than axle shaft l2, this action would be permitted by the relative movement between the gear wheels 3| and 32 tending to move in opposite directions relativethe two internal gears 22 and 24 and the single external gear correspondingto gear 23 driven by. the single pinion 26 on the drive shaft H], or they could be connected anddriven by the single pinion 26.

Withthe above arrangement there is alwaysa positive drive on the drive shaft to each axle shaft, and each wheelmust'make'the same number of turns forv each revolution of thegears l5 and I6. when the differential gear wheels BI and 33 are stationary. Neitherrwheel can spin when off the ground while the'other wheel iSTOll' the ground.

Havingthus set forth the nature ofmy inven tion,,I claim:

1. A differential comprising a drive shaft, a pair of Ialiened axle shafts, a pair of gears sidev by sidebetween the axle shafts, each gear. being; providedwith two sets of teeth, a pair of pinions meshingone with each gear, one pinion being on thedrive shaft and the other geared to it so that' the pinions rotate relativetoeach other, a gear wheel located between each gear and the adja-'- cent axle shaft, a gear meshing withand con-- necting thegear wheels,.a.shaft mounted on eachgear wheel inclined to the axisofsaid wheel, a: pinion on one end of each lattershaft meshing with the adjacent gear,.and a gear connection fromtheother end of each inclined shaft tothe adjacent axle-shaft.

2. A diiferential comprising a drive shaft, 8. pair of aligned axle shafts, a pair of coaxial gears between the axle shafts and axially aligned therewith, an axially aligned gear wheel between each gear and the adjacent axle shaft, a gear connection between the two gear wheels, a shaft carried by each gear wheel inclined to the axis of said wheel, a pinion on each inclined shaft meshing with the adjacentgear at" one endia-nd each shaft geared to the adjacent axle shaft at its opposite end, and a pair of pinions meshing one with each ear and connected with the drive shaft to be driven thereby.

3.-A. differential comprising a drive shaft, a pair of pinions driven by said shaft, a pair of aligned axle shafts, a pair of axially aligned doublegears between the axle shafts and meshing one with each of said pinions, a gear wheel between each of said gears and the adjacent axle shaft, a gear connecting said gear wheels, an inclined shaft carriedby each gear wheel, and each inclined shaft being; provided with a pinion atone end meshing with the adjacent double gear andgeared to theadjacent axle shaft' at its other" end.

4. A differential comprising. a drive-shaft, a pair. of aligned axlev shafts, a pair of axially aligned double gears'between theaxle shafts and each comprising an external and an internal gear, a pair of pinions connected with and driven by the drive shaft and each meshing with one of said external gears respectively, aligned gear wheels located one between. each double gear and the adjacent axle shaft, an intermediate-gear between and'meshing with the gear wheels; an inclined shaft carried by each gear wheel, and each inclined shaft provided with a pinion at one end meshing with-the ad jacent internal gear and geared to the adjacent axle shaft at its opposite end.

5. A differential comprising a drive shaft, a pair. of aligned axle shafts, a gear means between the axleshafts including a pair of internal gears, a driving connection-from-thedrive shaft to said gear means, a gear wheel located between the gear means and'each axle shaft, a

gear. connection between the gear wheels, anda1planetaryshaft-carried by eacligearwheel and each geared at one end'to-the adjacent internal gearrand at :its oppositeend' to the adjacent axle shaft.

6. A differential comprising adrive'shaft; a pair of: aligned axle shafts, a gear means be tween thezaxleshafts, a-driving connection-from thezdrive shaft to"said gear means, a gearwheel'- located. between: the gear means and each axle shaft, agear connection between the gear wheel's causing themto rotate: in: opposite. directions,

and ae-planetary shaft .carriedby each gear. wheel geared at. one end. to. the gear means and at its-.other endtothe adjacent axle shaft.

'7. A differential. comprising a drive shaft. a

pair of aligned axle shafts,,a. gear means be.-- tween the axle shafts, a driving connection from the drive shaft t'osaid gear means, a gear. wheellocated between t-e gear means and each: axle.

shaft; a gearconnection"betweenithe'gear wheels causing them to rotate in opposite directions, and a planetary shaft carried by each gear.

- wheel and forming a driving connection between the gear means-and the-adjacent axle shaft.

8:.A1 difierentiali comprising a drive shaft, a pairrofi alignedi axle shafts, a gear means betweenthe axle shafts, adriving connection fromthe-drive shaftzto saidgear means, a gear'wheel axially located between the gear means and each axle shaft and axially aligned therewith, a gear con- References Cited in the file Of this patent nection between and meshing with the gear UNITED STATES PATENTS wheels causing them to rotate in opposite directions, a shaft carried by each gear wheel located 5 Mmber Name Date laterally of its axis, a pinion connecting one 789'910 H.111 May 1905 040 443 Signor Oct. 8 1912 end of each shaft With. the gem means, and a driving connection from the other end of each 1305030 Tlbbetts May 1919 shaft t the adjacent l h t 1,352,590 Elbertz Sept 1920 LL R. JOHNSTON. H) 9, 6 Molly 1938 

